Ogden Clings to One-Game Lead in NW League

Tot Holmes

09/01/2005

David Sutherland's three-run home run in the bottom led the Raptors to a 5-3 win and a one-game leader over Orem. Las Vegas got brilliant pitching but left 14 on base, losing 2-1 in 12 innings. Delwyn Young extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Vero's attempt to rally was washed out after six and Columbus lost a pair to Augusta, 10-1 and 8-2. Jacksonville's game was suspended trailing 3-2 in the fourth.

LAS VEGAS, Nevada-- The Tacoma Rainiers defeated Las Vegas 2-1 in 12 innings in an old-fashioned pitching duel. Right-hander Mike Neu recorded his best outing of the season. He pitched 7 innings, allowed 5 hits, 1 run (unearned), walked 4 and struck out 2. Right-hander Buddy Carlyle pitched 2.1 scoreless innings. Right-hander Alfredo Gonzalez (2-2) pitched the 12th inning and allowed the winning run on a two-out double.. The 51s collected only seven hits but stranded 14 runners. Las Vegas tied the game in the eighth inning on a wild pitch that scored right fielder Cody Ross (0-for-5) who walked. The game featured 18 walks (10 by Tacoma pitching and 8 by Las Vegas). The 51s loaded the bases in the 11th inning with one out but couldn't score. Second baseman Delwyn Young was 3-for-5 with double and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Tacoma offense: The Rainiers recorded eight hits.

JACKSONVILLE, Florida-- Persistent rain showers suspended play in the bottom of the fourth inning in the Suns-Carolina Mudcats game Wednesday. With two outs, Adolfo Gonzalez stood at second and Todd Donovan was announced as the batter with the Suns trailing, 3-2. The game will be played today to its seven-inning conclusion, as will the nightcap. James Loney drove in the first two Suns runs: With a two-out double in the first inning and an RBI bounce-out to shortstop in the third inning. The Mudcats scored twice on three consecutive two-out singles off Suns starter Richard Bartlett in the second inning, taking a 2-1 lead. Angel Molina had a two-out single in the third inning, making the score, 3-1. Bartlett made a spot start and hadn't started since Aug. 28, 2003. He allowed three runs on six singles over four innings before rains halted play in the bottom of the fourth. Right-hander Chad Billingsley (12-6, 3.62 ERA) is scheduled to start the full game against Carolina today. Sun Spots: SS Joel Guzman (sore left shoulder) was a late lineup scratch. … Donovan hit his ninth triple, leading off the ballgame. The season total is one shy of Jose Macias' franchise record. …The Suns end August at 21-9, their best record in recorded history (since 1988). --Joe Block

VERO BEACH, Florida-- The Vero Beach Dodgers were able to finish the sixth innings - and thereby complete - the suspended game from Tuesday, but rain cancelled the nightcap. The Dodgers lost to the Brevard County Manatees 8-5 for the team's 12th loss in the last 15 games. Blake DeWitt delivered his second straight 3-hit game and Jamie Hoffman hit his first home run for Vero Beach. Tuesday's game was suspended in the second inning with Vero trailing 7-0. Jarod Plummer relieved Julio Pimentel to start the action in today's game and pitched well over 4.1 innings, allowing only three hits and one run to keep Vero Beach in the game. Hoffman's home run came in the third for the Dodgers' first run of the game. Vero closed the gap in the fifth when Hoffman tripled with one out. DeWitt doubled him home and Matt Kemp walked. One out later Anthony Raglani singled in both baserunners to pull the Dodgers within 8-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Edwin Bellorin led off with a single and Mayke Cabrera's pinch hit moved him to third. Hoffman beat out a fielder's choice that scored Bellorin and DeWitt singled him to second. That brought up Kemp but that's when the rain began -- again. Despite a downpour, play continued until Kemp bounced out to third base, ending the inning and, as it turned out, the game.

COLUMBUS, Georgia-- The Augusta GreenJackets swept a doubleheader over the Catfish by scores of 10-1 and 8-2. The GreenJackets took advantage of 14 Catfish walks and eight errors in the fourteen innings of the doubleheader. LF Ryan Carter continued his hot hitting with three hits in the doubleheader, including two doubles. Columbus managed just eight hits as a team over the two games. The GreenJackets scored five unearned runs in the second inning of Game 1 to jump out to an early lead and in the second game, Augusta retired the final 19 hitters and fanned 12. RHP Brian Akin (1-2, 4.13 ERA) makes his first Catfish start tonight.

OGDEN, Utah-- First baseman David Sutherland hammered a towering three-run home run (#4) in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead the Raptors to a 5-3 win over rival Orem. Sutherland added a run-scoring groundout in the seventh for his fourth RBI of the night. He is hitting .350 -- good enough for third in the Pioneer League -- and has been the Raptors' most dependable offensive player this season. The win puts Ogden back in first place by a single game over Orem with eight games left to play. Starter Marlon Arias (4-3) pitched five strong innings, allowing just one run, four hits and three walks while striking out nine, including five strikeouts in a row between the third and fifth innings. Relievers James McDonald, Miguel Ramirez and Troncoso also pitched well for Ogden with Ramirez striking out the side in the eighth inning and Troncoso picking up his 12th save of the season.